


Mending (Broken Friendship) Hearts

by disneyswiftie



Series: Andi Mack Oneshots [2]
Category: Andi Mack (TV), Original Work
Genre: Alone, Alternate Universe, Angst, Angst and Feels, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Angst with a Hopeful Ending, Based on a True Story, Broken Friendship, Brownies, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Gen, Girl Scouts, Good Hair Crew (Andi Mack), High School, Hopeful Ending, New Friends, POV Third Person Limited, Post-High School, but I changed the ending, ghosting, no explanation
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-25
Updated: 2020-09-25
Packaged: 2021-03-07 17:22:07
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,725
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26651362
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/disneyswiftie/pseuds/disneyswiftie
Summary: She thought back to the orientation, and how she had tried to convince her mom to send her to the same school. What if Penny hated this school? What if her rambling actually convinced her friend's mom, while Penny didn't get a say and Penny blamed her? She knew she was overthinking again and that probably wasn't the case, but still. What else could it be?~Or, classic case of an author projecting onto her favourite character.
Relationships: Andi Mack & Original Female Character (past), Buffy Driscoll & Cyrus Goodman & Andi Mack
Series: Andi Mack Oneshots [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1765804
Kudos: 2





	Mending (Broken Friendship) Hearts

**Author's Note:**

> Wrote this last night in one go as an impulsive decision. Only took just under two hours so I didn’t waste too much time. Didn’t know if I was actually gonna post it but here it is. Warning: angst fest with hopeful(?) ending.

_10 years ago_

_Andi walked in the door, her grandmother in tow, ready for her first night of Brownies. It was halfway through the season, but she didn't really care that she joined late. She was just excited to start a new program and possibly make some friends._

_In just five minutes she was already settled in, after saying goodbye to Cece._

_Overall, she had fun on her first night, but she didn't make any new friends yet. She was too shy to start a conversation with anyone, and her graceless manner kind of ruled out anyone approaching her._

* * *

_The program went on weekly, and although she was enjoying her time spent there, nothing really notable happened until a few weeks in._

_It was some sort of party day that night, and music played through the room while girls worked on crafts at various tables. Andi loved art, so she was mostly wrapped up in whatever she was making most of the time._

_But then, there was a moment where she saw another girl alone, and thought she could finally make a friend. So, she awkwardly approached said girl and tried to make conversation. It didn't really go so smoothly, but it was still better than nothing. She learned that the girl's name was Penny._

* * *

_Over time, they became friends, and eventually best friends. They had exchanged house phone numbers early on, and called each other often. Sometimes they would have sleepovers, which were really fun. At Penny's house, of course. Andi's bedroom was beyond a mess and she never had anyone over._

_As the years went on, they progressed into Girl Scouts, and once they were too old for that, Andi decided against going to the older level. The activities involved on the brochure were not her thing. Of course, the girls stayed best friends, and Penny even convinced Andi to go on the scariest water slide at Andi's waterpark birthday party one year! It ended up being a ton of fun, and became her favourite slide._

_Sadly, it had to all come crashing down at some point._

* * *

_5 years ago_

_The summer preceding high school was nerve-racking, to say the least. Middle school had been easy, simple. It was perfectly fine to have no friends that went to school with her, as the playground equipment had kept her more than entertained at recess. And lunch and snack time were in the classroom, so you didn't need to worry about sitting with someone. You just stayed at your desk._

_Now, it was the big time. Andi knew that if you didn't have any friends in high school, you'd be outcast. Maybe picked on. Or worse. And there would be nobody to stick up for you._

_Which is why she was more than relieved to run into Penny at the 8th grade orientation of her upcoming high school during the summer. Would Penny be starting 9th grade at the same school? That would be amazing, as they had never been at the same school before._

_But as she expressed these questions, she was told by Penny and her mom that they were still in the deciding stage. They didn't know yet which school she would be attending. She tried to convince them by telling them good things she'd heard about the school, not caring that she was probably annoying them._

_Soon enough, Andi went back to her seat on the bleachers beside her parents, ready to watch the presentation._

* * *

_High school started. The first day was even more stressful than she thought it would be. Turns out, Penny's family had decided to send her to this school. Andi was ecstatic when she saw her friend in her first class of the day. But as they were leaving to go to the next class, she tried to say hi and Penny... ghosted her?_

_Wait, no, that doesn't make sense. They're best friends! Sure, they hadn't talked much over the summer, but they seemed fine at the orientation. She probably just didn't see her. That had to be it._

_Andi didn't really sleep that well that night. Always the overthinker._ It'll be fine, _she told herself._

_But the next day, it was worse. She was early to class, and saved a seat for Penny near the front for when she arrived. Then Penny walked in, and Andi waved her over, motioning to the empty seat beside her._

_Clutching her books to her chest, **Penny shook her head,** and silently walked to the back. Andi's heart sunk. What had she done wrong? Why was Penny avoiding her?_

_The teacher wasn't having Penny's seat choice, though. She told Penny that that seat had to be left empty. And the only other empty seat left was the one next to Andi._

_The teacher basically forced Penny to sit next to Andi, after Penny had practically acted like that seat would be lava._

_The beginning lesson was extremely awkward, and Andi avoided looking at Penny at all costs. She didn't understand what was happening, but clearly Penny didn't want to be near her._

_Unfortunately, as this was a foreign language class, the teacher decided that everyone had to have a conversation in that language with their desk partner. Just when she thought the day couldn't get worse, it did. Having to see that fake smile plastered across her thought-to-be-best-friend's face and act like nothing was happening, well it just worsened the knot in her chest._

_That afternoon when school was over, Andi took the bus home, thankful they weren't on the same bus. Upon arriving home, she threw her shoes and backpack in the closet, rushing upstairs to cry into her pillow. With music, of course. She put in her earbuds and hit shuffle on her favourite artist, trying to distract herself from the emotional pain._

_Her dad did come up to check on her at some point, and she spilled everything. She explained how she just didn't understand why this was happening to her. She hadn't done anything, that she knew of. Why would her best friend just suddenly act like they were strangers?_

_She thought back to the orientation, and how she had tried to convince her mom to send her to the same school. What if Penny hated this school? What if her rambling actually convinced her friend's mom, while Penny didn't get a say and Penny blamed her? She knew she was overthinking again and that probably wasn't the case, but still. What else could it be?_

* * *

_Over the next few days, weeks, —months, even— Andi tried to work up the courage to approach Penny and ask her what she had done wrong. But, being the shy, anxious person she always was, she backed out every single time._

_Eventually, she just gave up trying. She was never not going to be a chicken, so why bother? That didn't mean she stopped thinking about it, though. She still lay awake some nights wondering, and it even sometimes popped into her head at random points during the day. Why couldn't she just let it go?_

_Maybe because she had never truly lost a friend before. Sure, she had friends as a kid, friends who she grew apart from, or they moved away. But nobody had ever just stopped being her friend out of nowhere. And it also happened to be one of the only close friends she had ever had. So it hurt. A lot. And confused her to no end, as she was never given an explanation._

* * *

_4 years ago_

_The next year, she finally made some new friends. Two students from her grade walked up to her table at lunch and said she looked lonely. They ended up sitting with her and introduced themselves. One was a curly-haired girl named Buffy, and the other was a boy with dark brown hair named Cyrus._

_They became fast friends, and were soon coined by Cyrus himself as the 'Good Hair Crew'. Andi was reluctant towards the name at first, but eventually went along with it._

_One day, they were all hanging out in Andi Shack, and had decided to play truth or dare._

_It was Buffy's turn, and she directed her question at Andi._

_"Andi, truth or dare?"_

_"Truth," Andi said simply, paying more attention to the bracelet she was making than the actual game._

_"Man, I had a really good dare ready," Buffy stated in playful annoyance, and they all laughed. "Hmm. What's something you should've let go of but haven't?"_

_Andi froze in place, staring at the wall in front of her and trying to think of a way out of this._

_"Umm...dare?"_

_"You can't switch once she's already asked the question," Cyrus cut in. "Although, you don't have to tell us anything you don't want to."_

_"No, no, it's fine," Andi sighed. "I probably should talk about it anyway."_

_So Andi told them the whole story, starting from the summer before 9th grade. The details before that were trivial and would only waste time._

_In the end, they both engulfed her in a group hug, insisting she didn't deserve that, and comforting her as best as possible._

_As the years went by, the Good Hair Crew's friendship only grew stronger. They were there for each other through everything, and though it didn't take away the pain of the lost friendship, it was nice to just have friends by her side._

* * *

Present time

Andi just got home a few minutes ago from a shopping trip with her parents. She may be an adult now, but she still doesn't live on her own. She's not ready for that.

Another thing she wasn't ready for, was seeing Penny's house as they drove past her street, and having all the memories come flooding back. But it happened anyway. So that's fun. Not.

Now she's lying on her back on her bed, staring at the ceiling. No tears. It's been too long for that. She's long past that stage. Just boring, anxious... numbness? Maybe that's a bit extreme. She's just overthinking again. She needs her friends.

So, she calls them. Both Cyrus and Buffy pick up right away, and upon explaining the situation, she gets confirmation that they are on their way.

She should probably clean up her room, as a night of games, dancing, and movies is definitely coming.

**Author's Note:**

> Inspired by/partly based on a true story? Except in real life there's no new friends to create a semi-happy ending and the girl (me) is just left to wonder on her own forever (technically only 5 years so far, but close enough). ¯\\_(ツ)_/¯


End file.
